Flex-Radio Flex-5000A Impressions after Six Months or so « With Varying Frequency – Amateur Radio Ponderings

Flex-Radio Flex-5000A Impressions after Six Months or so « With Varying Frequency – Amateur Radio Ponderings: "My impressions of the Flex-5000A SDR radio keep going up.

I’ll have to admit to having done less than a 1000 QSOs using the Flex-5000A. Based on my still modest sample the impression of quality and utility are 100%+

The listening ability is exceptional. Using the Filter-Matrix, RX-Equalizer and the Noise-Reduction/Reception-Processing Matrix the number of stations I can hear and isolate is extraordinary. Operating at times where other stations complain about the lack of stations heard, I often have a large number of stations that can be heard on the Flex-5000A.

The number one feature I am enjoying is the Display. The various Panadapter displays have something for every operator. Setting the viewed with to take in the most bandwidth makes getting a band snapshot easy. Increasing the focus to allow more precision in selecting an observed signal to listen to certainly helps for DX Hunting.

Transmit Audio reports have been excellent. A Yaseu MD-200 Desk Microphone is the current setup, though I plan to experiment with a boom mounted mic & foot-switch to see if I can gain some desk space back, and to use a more directional pickup patten.

The Dell computer is doing great. Typically I will have PowerSDR, MixW and Safari (3) running. I’ve avoided updating to the Safari 4 Public Beta having observed its huge appetite for system memory and how it never gives up memory it no longer needs.

The software combination seems content with each other, tracks well and is stable.

I’ve written before about two observed software anomalies, an occasional reduction in audio out after periods of idle and frequency excursions (which may be my fault). I haven’t been able to duplicate either, so they may be operator error.

Short term there are a number of tasks to accomplish in my installation:

* Two longer shielded DVI cables are here and ready to install. The Dell supplied cables are too short for my physical configuration.
* The boom mike experiment to gain desk space.
* The Contour ShuttlePro Multifunction Controller needs to be installed & configured.
* Room has to be found to put the 6m Amp on-line.

Additionally the K9ZW shack setup wit the Flex-5000A needs a general tidy-up with cable-ties put on cables, power supplies moved so the switches are not hidden, the PowerMaster SWR Meter & Green Heron Rotor control hooked up to the computer and possibly replacing the RatPak antenna switch with one that can be computer controlled.

Lots of excuses to get lost in the shack for a few hours here & there!

73

Steve
K9ZW"